Gas-container.



E. E. SLICK & J. H. NIGHOLSON. GAS CONTAINER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, 1911.

IDS-4,1 1 61 Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,\VASHI.\GTON, D. c.

E. E. SLICK & J. H'. NICHOLSON. GAS CONTAINER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, 1911.

1,084,]. 16. Patented Jan. 13, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES INVENTORS Y A @xxmm:

UNITED STATEB PATENT @FFlttll i.

EDWIN E. SLICK AND JOHN H. NICHOLSON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGN- ORS TO SHENANGO MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

GAS-CONTAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13,1914.

Original application filed June 7, 1911, Serial No. 631,871. Divided and this application filed July 28, 1911. Serial No.641,178.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWIN E. SLICK and JOHN H. NIonoLsoN, both residents of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Gas-Container, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a blank which we prefer to employ; Figs. :2 and 3 are partial longitudinal sections, showing successive steps in one form of our process; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the completed container resulting from such form of the process; Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4, showing a modified form of the container; and Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged plan and side elevation views, showing the preferred form of partition which we employ.

Our invention relates to gas containers,

especially steel cylinders for storing acety lene gas, which may be absorbed by acetone or other absorbent and supplied to a cylinder containing porous or fibrous filling. In the manufacture of such containers or cylinders as are extensively used at the present time, the body or cylindrical portion of the cylinder containing an integral bottom or end, is stamped or cupped up from a suitable circular plate or sheet. A molded filling of porous or fibrous material of required shape with stitf exterior is then inserted into the open end cylinder and a suitable shaped shallow cupped head is brazed into the open end. In such a method of manufacture great difiiculty has been experienced in making tight the brazed joint between the inserted head and the open end portion of the cylinder shell.

Our invention is designed to overcome this difliculty of leakage and at the same time provide a stronger and safer container. This is accomplished by making both heads of the container or cylinder integral with the sides Without brazing, soldering, welding or other forming of joints. If the container is made from a blank closed at one end, we close in the side walls at the other end, after putting in the filler. If made from a blank open at both ends then we form both heads from the cylindrical portion or shell of the container. This closing in to form the integral end or ends is preferably carried out by a spinning operation, which consists in revolving at a high rate of speed an open end tube chucked in a suitable lat-he or machine, and forcing inwardly the edges of the open end tube by a blunt nosed tool into a partially spherical shaped closure. The blank may be preheat-- ed to a dull red heat, and the heat generated by the friction contact of the rapidly revolving tube and the blunt. nosed tool draws in and welds the spherical end at the center, making it integral with the sides or body of the shell of the container. This forl'ning of the integral head or heads may also be performed by forcing the end portions of the walls of a preheated open tube or shell into dies of hemispherical shape, which will reform the open ends into integral hemispherical heads.

lVhile in the ordinary practice of our invention, it is contemplated that a tube open at both ends shall be used for the manufacture of this gas cylinder, the two integral ends being formed from the *alls of the tube, we can, however, use a blank with one integral end, which has been stamped up from a sheet or plate, similar to that heretofore described and now generally used with a brazed or soldered inserted end. After inserting the porous or fibrous filling in such a tube, we can spin in and close the open end, making; the closure integral with the sides of the cylinder or tube. In such a case it would be necessary to make some changes in the shape or design of this end to give proper protection to valve and gage.

Our improved container therefore comprises a cylinder having both heads integral with the side walls and containing the absorbent filling, which of course is placed in the cylinder before the final closing of the open end.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 8, we show successive operations in one form of our process. Fig. 1 shows the steel blank consisting of a cylinder 2, having an integral head 3 at one end which may be formed by spinning or clOS- ing in an open end by dies or may be formed by cupping atube from a sheet or plate. In order to protect the pressure gage and the valve from in ury, the head at one end of the cylinder is inset within the side walls. In this head, also, it is required that the portions tapped for attachment of the pressure gage and out-let valve shall be of a certain depth to give the requisite length of screw thread connection. To effect these results, in the form of Figs. 2 and 3, we show a hydraulic press apparatus, in which 4 is the plunger of a hydraulic press, having its forging end provided with a central projection 5 and an outer annularsprojection 6, with an annular recess 7 between them. 8 is a hollow former of tubular shape which fits around a resistance core 9, preferably of steel. The head 3 being heated, is forged by the hydraulic plunger 4 into the form shown in F ig. 2. The blank thus formed is then taken into another press, the parts 6 and 9 being removed, and the inner wall portion 10 is pressed out against the side wall by use of hydraulic plunger 11 and core 12 which fits the inside of the cylinder. The thickened annular portion 13 of the inset integral head 14 thus formed is of the proper: depth for the screw-threaded holes 15 and 16 to receive the pipe connections for the gage and valve. The filling material is then put in through the open end of the cylinder; this material is usually in molded form of porous asbestos of proper form and length, which may be slid in through the open end of the receptacle and fills the space therein. The open end of the receptacle is then closed by spinning the material of the side walls inwardly, thus forming the integral closed head. During this spinning operation, the

heat developed is found in actual practice to eifectually weld and close the central portion of the head as the portions of the side walls are spun inwardly. The spinning machine used for this purpose may be of the type described; and instead of spinning we may force the end of the cylinder, which is preferably heated in this case, into a series of dies, which will force the material of the side walls inwardly and thus form the integral head. This head as formed in such operation will usually be of dome-shape, and it may then be flattened down to form a substantially flat head, as shown at 17 in Fig. 4. This action causes this head to fit against the filling and avoid any unfilled spaces which are dangerous in this class of receptacles. Instead of a molded filling of asbestos, we prefer to divide up the space in the cylinder by a series of transverse partitions which are fixed against longitudinal movement in the cylinder. In the form shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7, the partitions 18 are in the form of a straw-hat, the top and sides of the hat-body being slotted and pressed outwardly and inwardly, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 to provide holding tongs for the fibrous filling material. These partitions are pushed in endwise with the ma terial, such as fibrous asbestos, packed firmly between them, the space in the container thus being filled. The partitions interfitwith each other as shown, and serve to more efiectually prevent any sagging or displacement of the filling which is liable to leave a space sufficiently large to cause danger. If any slight space is formed in one of our compartments it does not effect another compartment, and hence formation of a large and dangerous space is avoided.

In Fig. 5 we show another form of our improved container, in which instead of insetting the integral head of the blank, as shown in the first figures, we form the portion 3 of the blank into a reduced bottle neck form, as shown at 19, the integral head 20 of this neck being sufficiently thick to give the requisite depth of hole for the threaded connection. To protect the pressure gage and valve in this form, we secure around the bottle neck a sleeve protector 21. This protector may be screw-threaded to the exterior of the neck, or secured thereto in any desirable Way, its overhang being sufficient to protect the attachment. The absorbent material is then filled in through the open end; and this end is then closed by a spinning or die-making operation.

The advantages of our invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art, since a container is provided which is seamless throughout, the heads being integral with the side walls, while at the same time the cylinder contains the absorbent or filling material adapted to receive the absorbent for the acetylene gas.

The containers may be rapidly and cheaply made, and all liability to leakage at the joint with the separate head is avoided. The use of the partitions reduce liability to a dangerous cavity, and these partitions may be cheaply made and assembled with the packing, they interfitting with each other in the form shown.

Many changes may be made in the process and apparatus employed for the manu facture of the cylinders, the form of the container may be varied, and other changes may be made without departing from our invention as defined in the. appended claims.

The present application is a division of our pending application Serial No. 631,871, filed June 7th, 1911.

We claim 1. As a new article of manufacture, a container for acetylene gas, comprising a metal cylinder having integral heads and containing a porous or fibrous filling of a nature which must be inserted before closing both ends of the cylinder, one of said heads being formed from a portion of the body of the cylinder and being inset inwardly against the filling to thereby prevent the presence of void spaces Within the container, substantially as described.

2. A container for acetylene, etc., having interfitting partitions provided with projections, and filling material between the partitions and engaging the projections; substantially as described.

3. A container for acetylene, etc., having a plurality of interfitting partitions and a filling material between the partitions, said partitions engaging each other longitudinally; substantially as described.

4. A container for acetylene, etc., having a plurality of interfitting partitions and a filling material between the partitions, and means for bracing the partitions longitudinally; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto set our hands.

EDWIN E. SLICK. JOHN H. NICHOLSON.

Witnesses:

G. W. NEILL, GEO. B. BLEMING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent, Washington, D. 0. 

